Cable splicing sleeve with sealing chambers



Dec. 9, 1952 Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CABLE SPLICING SLEEVE WITH SEALING CHAMBERS Z Claims.

This invention relates to an improved cable splicing sleeve for the protection of sheathed electric conductors, wherein splices have been made.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a splicing sleeve, which may be readily applied to metallic sheathed electric cables to prevent moisture gaining access to portions of the conductors from which sheathing has been removed during splicing operations.

Another important object is to provide a sleeve in accordance with the foregoing object that, in application, does not require the skill necessary or the hazards incident to the usual practice oi wiping a joint.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a device in conformity with the foregoing objects that may be readily removed for circuit testing or the like, and which will be low in cost, simple and easy to use, and be highly eiicient for the purposes intended.

Important features of the present invention are the means for seating the sleeve, and the sliding sleeve for the reception and retention or sealing compound.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal sectional View of an application of the present invention showing the same used to shield a spliced juncture of a single cable and two other cables;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through the pair oi cables of Figure 1, being taken upon the plane of the section line 12-2 of Figure 1 and showing the end of the device proper;

Figure 3 is `a transverse sectional view of the application shown in Figure 1 being taken upon the plane of the section line 3 3 of Figure i; and

Figure 4 is a View similar to the view in Figure 2, however showing the device as being split.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the numeral l0 designates an T open-ended barrel or casing. The opposite ends of the casing IB are counterbored to provide internal shoulders I2 against which walls or disks Hl are seated, the latter being slidable in the ends of the casing Il). Slidably received in the ends oi the casing IQ are sleeves lli, the inner ends of Which are beveled, as at i8, for engagement with complementary beveled edges 2G of the walls i4.

The ends of the casing lil are closed by caps 22 and 24, which are respectively provided with annular flanges 2E and 23. rEhe caps 22 and 24 are retained against the sleeves l i3 and the casing iii by compression nuts 36 which have annular iianges 32 for engagement with the flanges 25 and 28, whereby the caps constitute movable walls for the casing.

The cap 22 and the adjacent wall la are provided with registering openings 35i and 35 which receive sheathing 35 or" an electric cable having conductors 35i therein. Similarly, the cap 2d and its adjacent wall Ill are provided with openings Csi) and 5! for the reception of cables @E and 44.

It is clearly shown in Figure 1 that the sheathing for the cables terminates and is outturned to form `a bead, as at 4t, to seat lagainst the walls and that the conductors extend into the space i8 between the walls le, being spliced, as at 5-3, and divided so as to extend out the cables and 4t. It will be understood that although Figure 1 shows the splicing sleeve connecting two cables to single cable, the present invention is applic-able to any desired combination of a number of cables entering and leaving the splicing sleeve.

Eetween the caps 23 and 24% and their adjacent walls le are chambers 52 and respectively, for the reception of sealing compound which is any suitable plastic material that is impervious to water and which will not harden with age, numerous varieties of which are found on the open market.

The sealing compound is prevented from leaking around the electric cables through the openings in caps Z2 and 24 and walls i4 by the washers 58, which are preferably asbestos, that embrace the electric cables and for which the caps 22 and 24 and walls i4 are beveled to receive adjacent their openings, as at 60.

The modiiication shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 illustrates an application wherein the casing l0, the walls IQ, the caps 22 and 24, and the compression nuts Sil may be formed as desired of materials either metallic or plastic; however, Figure 4 illustrates a modification that will permit the splicing sleeve to be readily placed about electric cables, in which the casing IQ is preferably lead so as to be readily split and the walls I4 and caps 24 and 22 are in sections, preferably brass, which are joined by any suitable method,

such as soldering 62. Therefore, it will be seen that the modication in Figure 4 shows a construction which will readily permit the splicingV sleeve to be readily assembled or disassembled about the cables to be protected. It will be readily understood that the compression nuts 39 could be of any known type of sectional nut, instead of being simply split as shown in Figure 4.

The operation of the device will be readily understood. With the casing i9 around the spliced portion of the cable, and the walls ld and the sleeve I5 and the caps 22 and 2li and nuts removed therefrom, the walls Id will be placed against the shoulders l2 and the sleeve E5 partially inserted in the ends of the casing I9, whereupon sealing compound 56 is forced into the end of the sleeve i6. The insertion of sealing compound 5s into the chambers 52 and 5d with the sleeve i6 partially extended assures an ample quantity of sealing compound in the chambers, so that tightening of the nuts 39 will compress the sealing compound tightly about the electric cable to effect an ecient moisture seal. The compression nut 39, shown at the right side of the device as seen in Figure 1, shows the same in the process of being tightened to compress the sealing compound 56 in the chamber 52, as before mentioned. It will be understood that when the sleeves i9 are fully inserted in the ends of the casing i9 so as to engage the walls lli, the beveled edges l of the sleeves i6 will cause the ends of the sleeves I6 to expand slightly so as to tightly engage the casing I9. It is to be noted that during the process of tightening the nuts 39 that the sleeves I6 prevent sealing compound from'entering the internal threads 64, thus assuring easy removal of the nuts 39 at a future time.

Although the present invention will probably find its greatest application with electric cables that are lead-sheathed, it will be understood that the principles of the invention may equallyV be as well applied to electrical conductors of the type having plastic, rubber, and other metals as well as lead. This is because the sheathing is subjected to no compressive forces other than that cf washers 5B and the evenly distributed pressure exerted by the sealing compound 56.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device wil be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecess-ary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

l. A cable splice sleeve comprising a tubular casing having a cable passage therethrough, internal shoulders spaced from each end of said casing, inner walls seated on said shoulders, the outer peripheral edge of said walls being beveled, tubular sleevesV slidably received in the ends of said casing, the inner ends of said sleeves being beveled complementary to the beveled edges of said walls, closure caps for the ends of said casing, compression nuts engaging said caps, each cap and the adjacent inner wall having registering cable openings therein, a cable extending through said openings, said cables sealing said openings, Va quantity of plastic, water impervious sealing compound filling said ends and said sliding sleeves.

2. A cable splice sleeve comprising a tubular casing having a cable passage therethrough, internal shoulders spaced from each end of said casing, inner walls seated on said Shoulders, the outer peripheral edge of said walls being beveled, tubular sleeves slidably received in the ends of said casing, the inner ends of said sleeves being beveled complementary to the beveled edges of saidrwalls, closure caps for the ends of said casing, compression nuts engaging said caps, each cap and the adjacent inner wall having registering cable openings therein, a cable extending through said openings, said cable sealing said invention, what is openings, a quantity 0f plastic, water impervious sealing compound lling said ends and said sliding sleeves, the edges of the cable openings in proximity to said sealing compound being beveled, sealing washers seated on said beveled edges.

THEODORE C. TOMPERS.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 488,027 Y Purcell Dec. 13, 1892 1,997,289 Bierce May 19, 1914 1,794,750 Ainsworth Mar. 3, 1931 1,811,334 Roemer June 23, 1931 1,996,565 Boch Apr. 2, 1935 2,139,125 Hixon Dec. 6, v1938 2,310,423 Gold Feb. 9, 1943 2,425,959 Schoenborn Aug. 19, 1947 499,603 England Jan. 26, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 

